SHOW(7)

🌸 SHOW(7) — the "girl, what's it set to rn??" command 🌸

okay so this is from the PostgreSQL 17.11 Documentation, page SHOW(7), and bestie it's literally the most low-key useful thing ever 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

SHOW — shows you the value of a run-time parameter 👀 periodt

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

SHOW name
SHOW ALL

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so SHOW displays the current setting of run-time parameters. iconic behavior honestly 💖

and the way these variables get set in the first place? several ways, ngl:

• using the SET statement
• editing the postgresql.conf configuration file
• through the PGOPTIONS environmental variable (when you're using libpq or a libpq-based application)
• through command-line flags when starting the postgres server

see Chapter 19 for the details, iykyk 📖

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💅 PARAMETERS 💅

• name — the name of a run-time parameter. the available parameters are documented in Chapter 19 and on the SET(7) reference page. and ALSO, plot twist 🫢 there are a few parameters that you can show but not set:
  • SERVER_VERSION — shows the server's version number 🏷️
  • SERVER_ENCODING — shows the server-side character set encoding. at present, this parameter can be shown but not set, because the encoding is determined at database creation time. it's giving "decided before you got here" energy fr fr 🙈
  • IS_SUPERUSER — True if the current role has superuser privileges 👑 main character energy only
• ALL — show the values of all configuration parameters, with descriptions 🗂️ literally all of them

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📝 NOTES 📝

the function current_setting produces equivalent output; see Section 9.28.1. ALSO, the pg_settings system view produces the same information. three ways to get the same answer, we love options 💜

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🔥 EXAMPLES 🔥

Show the current setting of the parameter DateStyle:

SHOW DateStyle;
 DateStyle
-----------
 ISO, MDY
(1 row)

Show the current setting of the parameter geqo:

SHOW geqo;
 geqo
------
 on
(1 row)

Show all settings:

SHOW ALL;
            name         | setting |                description
-------------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------
 allow_system_table_mods | off     | Allows modifications of the structure of ...
    .
    .
    .
 xmloption               | content | Sets whether XML data in implicit parsing ...
 zero_damaged_pages      | off     | Continues processing past damaged page headers.
(196 rows)

196 rows of pure information, she ate and left no crumbs 🍓

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🌈 COMPATIBILITY 🌈

the SHOW command is a PostgreSQL extension ✨ (not standard SQL, just FYI bestie, no cap)

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🫶 SEE ALSO 🫶

SET(7), RESET(7) — go read your sisters 💖

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and that's the whole page!! brought to you by the PostgreSQL 17.11 docs, dated 2026, SHOW(7). slay, go check your settings 🎀💅✨